Valentines Year-Round – 10 Low-Budget Love Leaps
By Liz H. Kelly
Who says Valentine’s Day has to be expensive, and why is it only celebrated 1 day a year? Why are Americans predicted to spend $13 million on Valentines this year when it’s the sentimental value that outweighs any purchase price? Simply by leaping out of your romantic routine, you can ignite sparks without breaking the bank. You can build more great love with a thoughtful gift over a big bill any day!
Avoid the temptation of quick checkbook fixes (roses, chocolates and diamonds) by giving alternative gifts this year. Take a look at John Corbett in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, he made cute romantic moves throughout the whole movie that made everyone swoon. It’s the little things that add up in today’s fast-track world. Singles are tired of effortless dates. Go for great love gifts, a sentimental card, and save money all at the same time.
Try these 10 Low-Budget Love Leaps Year-Round:
1. Sweet Hello Kiss – Greet your date or mate with a tasty strawberry or chocolate kiss. Watch the pleasant surprise on their face after your sweet hello kiss. If you try this move, keep a few extra sweets nearby in case they want more.
2. Cup Cake Captions – Surprise them with creative cup cakes for a special event or just because. It’s ok to act like a kid again in the kitchen. Think about a secret nickname that you share for each other and spell it out on the cup cakes. Maybe try Paper Heart if you met at that movie.
3. Movie Switch Twist – Take your love to the movies, but don’t offer the title before you arrive. Surprise them with a movie you know that they want to see, even though it would not be on the top of your list. Guys who take their girlfriend to a popular chick flick can score big.
4. Pizza and Pinot – Ask your lust to pick up a gourmet pizza on the way home, and then set a romantic stage with scented candles, Norah Jones playing, and your favorite bottle of Pinot on the table to set the mood!
5. Mid-day Museum Adventure – Organize a lunch date visit to your favorite art museum in the middle of a workday. An unexpected visit to a Museum of Contemporary Art with Andy Warhol paintings is a great romantic escape from the office routine. They’ll be talking about it for months!
6. Fitness Pleasures – For the Fitness Extremist, organize a hiking trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Sedona, Arizona’s Red Rocks or your nearest mountain. Find an inexpensive bed and breakfast and pack fruit and granola for this healthy romancer.
7. Cartoon Crafts – Draw a fun cartoon card with a personal greeting. You don’t have to be Matt Groening of the Simpsons; they will be pleasantly surprised by the effort. One woman told me, “My boyfriend sends me drawings with witty captions that make light of my office politics. He reduces my stress and makes me laugh out loud.”
8. Photo Collage – Present him or her with a photo collage and a cute caption. Take some fun photos of their true passion. Do they love golf? or maybe computer games? If you were married to Matt Damon (born in Cambridge, MA), you could present him with a Boston Red Sox World Series photo collage with the caption, “You rock my sox!”
9. Seductive Scents – You don’t want to overlook the value of seductive scents because smell is a major part of the chemistry equation. Try a new perfume or cologne to allure your partner into the bedroom. While interviewing singles for Smart Man Hunting, one guy confessed, “I could smell her perfume on my clothes the next day and it was a big turn on.”
10. Appreciation Award – You can easily win someone’s heart simply by recognizing your love for what they do best. Take a photo of your partner and award them with a new title such as, Most Creative Italian Chef in NYC. You will get an A for effort and hopefully a few good laughs and other surprises.
Once Valentine’s season is over, don’t stop romancing your partner either. Use these low budget love leaps year-round to add love spice to the relationship. Set a goal to do something creative at least once a month in the romance department. You don’t need a holiday to be a Keeper of the Fire!
© Liz H. Kelly, Great Love Reporter, Great Life Great Love, http://www.greatlifegreatlove.com, 2009
